Brachyscome plant named ‘Bonbra7053’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Brachyscome  plant named ‘Bonbra7053’, characterized by its mounding plant habit; freely branching habit, bushy plant form and moderately vigorous growth habit; numerous inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane; large inflorescences with purple violet-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Brachyscome×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONBRA7053’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Brachyscome plant, botanically known as Brachyscome×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonbra7053’.

The new Brachyscome plant is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new mounding Brachyscome plants with unique and attractive ray floret color.

The new Brachyscome plant originated from a cross-pollination in October, 2003 in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, of a proprietary selection of Brachyscome×hybrida identified as code number 00-76, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified proprietary selection of Brachyscome×hybrida, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Brachyscome plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Dec. 14, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Brachyscome plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since December, 2004 has shown that the unique features of this new Brachyscome plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Brachyscome have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonbra7053’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonbra7053’ as a new and distinct Brachyscome plant:

-   -   1. Mounding plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit, bushy plant form and moderately         vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Numerous inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane.     -   4. Large inflorescences with purple violet-colored ray florets.     -   5. Good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Plants of the new Brachyscome differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in ray floret color as plants of the female parent selection have pink-colored ray florets and plants of the male parent selection have mauve to pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Brachyscome can also be compared to plants of the Brachyscome angustifolia ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,889. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Brachyscome differed primarily from plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Brachyscome were larger and more mounding         than plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   2. Plants of the new Brachyscome had longer lateral branches and         internodes than plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   3. Plants of the new Brachyscome had larger leaves and flowers         than plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   4. Plants of the new Brachyscome and ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’         differed slightly in ray floret color.     -   5. Plants of the new Brachyscome had longer peduncles than         plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Brachyscome plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Brachyscome plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonbra7053’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Bonbra7053’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late spring in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under commercial cultural practices. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 28° C. and night temperatures averaged 20° C. Plants were five and four months old when the photographs and description, respectively, were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Brachyscome×hybrida ‘Bonbra7053’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Brachyscome×hybrida identified as code number 00-76, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection             of Brachyscome×hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at             temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at             temperatures of 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures of 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Mounding plant habit; freely             branching habit, bushy plant form, pinching enhances lateral             branch development; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 18.3 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 25.8 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17.5 cm. Diameter: About             1.2 mm. Internode length: About 1.2 cm. Strength: Moderately             strong. Aspect: Upright to semi-upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 187A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 4 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Deeply divided; roughly lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Deeply lobed.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 147A; venation, close to 147A. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 147B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 2.1 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 147A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance and habit.—Single composite inflorescence form             with ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a             capitulum; inflorescences borne above the foliar plane;             uniform and freely flowering habit with about 26             inflorescences developing per plant; inflorescences face             upright to semi-upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Plants flower from spring through late             autumn in Japan; flowering continuous during this period;             early flowering habit, plants begin flowering about 50 days             after planting.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about seven to             ten days on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5.3 mm. Diameter: About             4.3 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to N77B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 2.5 cm. Height: About             7 mm. Diameter of disc: About 3 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About 23 in a single             whorl. Length: About 11.3 mm. Width: About 2.4 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute to obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to N82B. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 76A.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About 53 massed at             center of receptacle. Shape: Tubular, elongated; five-lobed.             Apex: Acute. Length: About 5.4 mm. Width: About 1.8 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Towards the base, close to             144A; towards the apex, close to 7A.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: About 15 in a             single whorl; bracts imbricate. Length: About 3.1 mm. Width:             About 1.1 mm. Shape: Roughly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 10.5 cm. Diameter: About 0.8 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 146B tinged with close to N186C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Stamen length: About 1 mm. Anther length: Less than             1 mm. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to             177B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 7A.             Gynoecium: Present on ray and disc florets. Pistil length:             About 3.5 mm. Style color: Close to 155B. Stigma shape:             Bi-lobed. Stigma color: Close to 10A. Ovary color: Close to             145D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Brachyscome. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Brachyscome have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Brachyscome plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Brachyscome have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Brachyscome plant named ‘Bonbra7053’ as illustrated and described. 